


one for the team

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Community: comment_fic, Dancing, F/M, Het, Rare Pair, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 03:56:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10454433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: On Barry and Iris's wedding day, Caitlin takes one for the team.





	

**Author's Note:**

> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/787741.html?thread=101856541#t101856541  
> Theme : angst  
> Prompt : The Flash, Caitlin Snow/Joe West, Unrequited Love

"May I have this dance?"

When Joe asked the question, Caitlin's response was automatic. "I'm not much of a dancer, Joe," she told him with a rueful smile. 

Joe didn't try to argue with her, just chuckled as he pointed towards the dance floor, where Cisco was trying - and failing in pretty spectacular fashion - to waltz with a friend of Iris's from college, a knockout brunette called Caroline. "Seems to be a lot of that going around," he observed and Caitlin shook her head as she tried to hide her own smile, loyalty to her friend demanding that much. "C'mon," he said, this time holding out his hand. "Father of the bride and chief bridesmaid, I'm fairly sure there's a law that we're required to dance... you don't want to tempt fate, do you?"

His lips were twitching but with the memory of what Iris and Barry had been through to get this far, there was more than a hint of truth to the old maxim that many a true word was spoken in jest. "Well," Caitlin said with a theatrical sigh, "if it's to keep Iris and Barry safe... I suppose I can take one for the team..."

Joe's skin was warm when his fingers curled around hers, almost as warm as his smile when he walked her to the dance floor. He slid his other hand around her waist as her hand moved to his back, between his shoulder blades and he moved her expertly to the rhythm of the music. "See?" he said after a moment. "You can dance." 

Caitlin lifted one eyebrow. "I think that's more to do with my partner," she said and it looked like he was trying not to appear smug. He was succeeding about as well as Cisco was with his waltzing. 

"Well then..." He let his voice trail off and she blinked as his hand left her back and he took a step away from her. Next thing she knew, their joined arms were moving upwards and he was spinning her underneath before pulling her back towards him again, bringing her back to her original position. She laughed as they pulled off the manoeuvre easily and he looked even more satisfied. 

"Show off." But there was no rancour in her words, just like there was no real injury in the narrow eyed glare Cisco shot them as he once again stepped on Caroline's foot. 

Joe shrugged. "One more time?" 

Caitlin didn't blink, didn't speak, just nodded. 

And as he spun her, for just a moment, she let herself daydream. Let herself imagine that her dress was a different colour, that she was adjusting to the weight of a new ring on her finger, that all these people were here, not for Barry and Iris, but for her and Joe. That they were dancing like this because it was their first dance as husband and wife, that this easy banter between them was the start of the rest of their lives together. 

It was, she thought, a nice dream. 

But, just like every time she'd dreamed it lately - and she'd been as surprised as anyone else would be to realise that her feelings had changed - she knew that it was a futile exercise. Joe didn't see her like that, never would, and Caitlin told herself firmly that that was ok. They were friends, would always be friends and maybe in some ways that was better. 

 

But when he pulled her back to him again, when she caught the whiff of his cologne and the warmth of his body, it was hard to believe that.


End file.
